The Peculiar Alchemist

42 || Burying Feelings

Even though Agnes told him about it being futile without her help, Aubrey still attempted to make the potion he had in mind as he tirelessly worked on it. While his knowledge was still limited, he still managed to finish his masterpiece.

At first he thought of making a potion that would give selective memory loss, however that potion existed, and it required so much work and help from Agnes that he quickly discarded the idea. Not only would he have to explain to Agnes why he was making it, but Kellen might also forget about his promise of reviving Sammy once he drinks it.

All Aubrey wanted was for Kellen to forget that day, but when he saw that it was easier said than done, he decided to think of something else. Something more doable.

And that's why he made his masterpiece of a potion and placed it right in front of Kellen without a word.

The potion he made was sweet, and it smelled nice and inviting. He worked hard to make it as appealing as he could, but Kellen still eyed it with suspicion before dragging it closer to him.

"What's this?" He always asked that before drinking whatever potion he's given, but he always drank them in the end no matter how unpleasant or painful they sounded.

"This is a healing potion. A very potent one." Aubrey told him, eager for him to try it. "You're always getting hurt around here, so I thought I'd make one just for you."

Kellen tilted his head in confusion. "You made a healing potion just for me?"

"Yes, I thought it'd be a useful thing to learn with you around."

For some reason, Kellen huffed as he stared down at it even though he had a few cuts and bruises on his arm. They weren't so bad that they needed immediate attention, but having a healing potion would have been convenient. It made Aubrey wonder why he was regarding the potion with dismay.

"Did I upset you?"

It took a moment for Aubrey to process the question before slowly shaking his head in response feeling perplexed. "No, why do you ask that?"

"You're giving me a healing potion. What's up with that?" He did not sound too happy about it, and that just made Aubrey even more confused than before. He could not think of a single reason that would justify the reaction he was getting before Kellen continued to speak. "What happened to you attempting to murder me?"

Aubrey stood there in stunned silence for a few long moments reminding himself that Kellen was not a normal person. Anything that would apply to normal people would not apply to him. Aubrey knew that, yet he still found himself getting surprised.

"You actually want me to poison you?" He asked just to make sure, and of course Kellen nodded his head in response. It seems like this was something that he liked. "And you thought I was upset because I gave you a healing potion. To heal you."

It was more of a statement than an actual question.

Again, Kellen nodded his head. "I told you, I don't mind the pain. I like it."

The problem is, Aubrey does remember that. It was the first time he tortured Kellen with one of his potions, and that's when he noticed something very disconcerting as he thought more about it. Aubrey continued to make similar potions and gave them to Kellen, who in return, traumatized him with dates and annoyed the hell out of him.

In some kind of twisted way, Kellen was actually flirting with him and he was flirting back obliviously. Eagerly, too.

Like it or not, it seems like they were made for each other because Aubrey is just that stupid and he keeps on making the same mistakes over and over again.